The present invention relates to methods and systems for transferring game saves between a game console and a computer and for editing game saves using the computer. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for transferring game saves from a game console to a personal computer, storing game saves in memory associated with a personal computer, editing the game saves stored in the memory, and transferring game saves from the personal computer to a game console.
In electronic game systems, such as the xe2x80x9cPlayStationxe2x80x9d game system available from Sony Corporation or the xe2x80x9cNintendo 64xe2x80x9d game system available from Nintendo Company, some games allow a user to save information relating to a particular state of a game on a game system memory card. This information is commonly referred to as a game save. Game saves allow users to recreate the state of a game program at the point where a previous instance or execution terminated. For example, an electronic football game program, such as xe2x80x9cJohn Madden Footballxe2x80x9d for the Sony xe2x80x9cPlayStationxe2x80x9d may allow a user to play a simulated football season and save statistical information regarding the user""s team at a given point in the season. During one execution of the game program, the user may play the first three football games of a simulated season and save statistical information for the user""s team at that point in the simulated season. If the user""s team wins the first three games, the team win/loss record of three wins and zero losses may be stored on the game system memory card along with additional operating information, so that the game program, stored on a separate cartridge or disk, can restart at the point where the previous execution of the game program terminated. Thus, when the user restarts the game program, the user inserts the game system memory card with the game save into the game console. The game cartridge or disk must also be inserted in the game system console, since game saves generally do not contain all of the information needed to execute a game program. The game console reads the game save on the game system memory card and the game cartridge or disk and starts the game program at the point where the user finished in the previous instance. Thus, in sports games, storing game saves on game system memory cards avoids the necessity of restarting the entire season each time the user plays the game. Game saves may be used in a similar manner in adventure games and other games to allow restarting at a previous state of a game program.
Although storing game saves on game system memory cards has a number of advantages, the storage capability of a single game system memory card is limited. For example, in one game system memory card configured to store game saves for the xe2x80x9cPlayStationxe2x80x9d game system, the memory card is limited to fifteen blocks of game storage space. A game save requires at least one block of memory. Some game saves require multiple blocks of memory. Thus, a fifteen-block game system memory card may store, at most, fifteen game saves.
Similarly, in game system memory cards configured to store game saves for the xe2x80x9cNintendo 64xe2x80x9d game system, memory space is divided into pages. A memory card has a finite number of pages. Game saves may require one or more pages. Thus, the number of game saves that can be stored on a game system memory card configured to store game saves for the xe2x80x9cNintendo 64xe2x80x9d game system is also limited. Because the user may desire to store multiple game saves for a single game or for multiple games, the user may be required to purchase multiple game system memory cards or game system memory cards with increased storage capacity.
Storing game saves exclusively on game system memory cards may limit a user in sharing game saves with another user to physically transferring the game system memory card, including the game saves, to another user. For example, a first user who achieves a high level in an adventure game may save the information required to replay the game at the same level as a game save on a game system memory card. In order for the first user to transfer the game save to a second user so the second user can start at the high level, the first user physically transfers the game system memory card to the second user. The second user inserts the game system memory card in his or her game system console in order to start the game at the high level.
While the second user is using the first user""s game system memory card, the first user is prevented from accessing the game save or from storing further game saves on the game system memory card. In addition, the first user may lose his or her game save because the second user may erase or write over game saves on the game system memory card.
Some game system consoles, such as the Sony xe2x80x9cPlayStationxe2x80x9d game console, have two memory card slots to allow copying of game saves from one game system memory card to another game system memory card. However, even with this mechanism, game saves cannot be shared without physical transfer of a game system memory card. For example, a first user may have two game system memory cards. In order to transfer game saves to a second user, the first user may copy game saves from one game system memory card to the other memory card using the game system console and lend the game system memory card with the copy to the second user. In another scenario, two users may each have a single game system memory card. In order to transfer game saves, the second user may lend his or her game system memory card to the first user, the first user may copy game saves from his or her game system memory card to the second user""s game system memory card. The first user may then return the second user""s game system memory card. In either scenario, physical transfer of a game system memory card is required to share game saves. Because of the limited storage capacity of game system memory cards and the inability to communicate game saves to other users without physically transferring game system memory cards, there exists a need for an alternate mechanism for transferring and storing game saves.
Another problem with conventional game systems is that, even though some game systems allow a user to store game saves and return to a previous place in a game, the game saves are limited by the user""s ability to play the game. For example, if a user playing an adventure game achieves a certain level during an instance of the game, the game save for that instance is limited to the level that the user achieved. If the user is incapable of achieving a higher level when playing the game, the next time the user starts the game from the game save, the user may not be capable of achieving a higher level. Accordingly, there exists a need for methods and systems for altering game save information to allow users to achieve higher levels in a game without first playing all of the lower levels of the game to achieve the higher levels.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system for transferring game saves between a game console and a personal computer and, particularly, to provide a method of editing game saves.
According to one aspect of the invention, a game save editor comprising a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprises reading a game save, including game same information, stored in a memory associated with a personal computer; displaying the game save information in at least one of ASCII and binary format to a user; changing the displayed game save information based on input from the user; and storing in the memory of the computer the displayed game save information changed by the user as an edited game save.
In another aspect of the invention, a graphical user interface displayable on an electronic display device for controlling transfer of game saves between a personal computer and a game system memory card and editing of a game save comprises: a first display area for displaying a game save as game save information in binary format; a second display area for displaying the game information in ASCII format; and means for editing the game save information in either of the first and second areas, editing one of the first and second areas automatically editing the other of first and second areas.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a system for transferring game saves between a game system and a personal computer and for editing game saves using the personal computer, the system comprises: a connection device for connecting a game system to a computer; and a computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising: reading a game save, including game same information, stored in memory associated with a personal computer; displaying the game save information in at least one of ASCII and binary formats to a user; changing the displayed game save information based on input from the user; and storing in the memory of the personal computer the displayed game save information changed by the user as an edited game save.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a system for transferring game saves between a game system and a personal computer comprises a connection device for connecting a game system to a computer, the connection device including a first interface for communicating with a computer; a second interface for communicating with a game system through a memory card port; and a processing circuit coupled to the first and second interfaces for transferring game saves between the computer and the game system.